DTJ DESIGN, Inc. (DTJ) is an award-winning international design firm with offices in Atlanta, Austin, Boulder, and Denver. DTJ is known for integrating landscape and challenging topography with the built environment. Their extensive portfolio includes community design, leisure destinations, urban regeneration, and mixed-use places across a wide range of geographies. Their philosophy is rooted in the power of the "Big Idea": creative vision that responds to context, market, and community, while sparking authentic human connection and establishing a sense of place. They specialize in a hands-on, collaborative process that pushes the boundaries of conventional design while bringing the best version of their client's vision to life. Under the direction of Todd Hill, FASLA, LEED AP, and Dave Williams, AIA, the Atlanta office combines artistry with technical precision, ensuring every project carries the DNA of DTJ: crafting places that balance function with emotion, sustainability with beauty, and legacy with contemporary relevance.


Centennial Olympic Park; Atlanta, GA

DTJ led the comprehensive update of Atlanta's 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park, introducing the modernization of the amphitheater, the Early Believers Tribute, and the creation of Unity Plaza. The reimagined amphitheater was designed to open views from all sides and incorporates tiered seating, shade structures, advanced LED lighting, and improved connectivity to the park's fountain. The Early Believers Tribute honors the "Atlanta Nine" - the first nine African American students to integrate into all-white high schools - through custom hardscapes, etched granite benches, and Olympic Ring sculptures. Unity Plaza redefines the park's northwest corner as a welcoming gateway with water walls, reflective pools, and public art. Centennial Olympic Park now serves as a daily gathering place and special events venue, honored in the 2022 ASLA Landmark Award. Photo Credit: Katie Bricker Photography





Signia by Hilton Atlanta Hotel; Atlanta, GA

DTJ provided landscape architectural services for the 30-story Signia by Hilton Atlanta, the largest ground-up hotel built in the city in four decades, according to Hilton. The project sits prominently on the Georgia World Congress Center campus and establishes a strong pedestrian connection to the surrounding entertainment district. The design includes a multi-functional event lawn and deck, plazas woven into the urban fabric, and a resort-style pool terrace with bar and lounge seating overlooking the stadium. The design emphasized durability, hospitality-focused planting palettes, and seamless integration of circulation routes to handle daily use, game-day crowds, and large convention traffic. The hotel received IIDA Georgia's 2025 Best of the Best in Hospitality. Photo Credit: Coonie Zhou

 





Riverton Pointe Campus Hardeeville, SC

DTJ developed the master plan for the 25-acre amenity campus at Riverton Pointe, a Nicklaus-designed golf community near Hilton Head. The plan organizes multiple facilities into a cohesive hub that reflects the relaxed character of the Lowcountry while serving as the social and recreational center of the community. The arrival sequence begins with a tree-lined road crossing a natural wash, culminating in a loop that serves the pro shop, fitness building, and clubhouse that anchors the site with broad porches, banquet facilities, and a restaurant that spills onto an event lawn. Supporting facilities include a recreation complex and the Waterview Grill. Photo Credit: Riverton Pointe





Loews Sapphire Falls; Orlando, FL

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort is a 35-acre Caribbean-inspired destination at Universal Orlando. Anchoring the resort is the 16,000-square-foot lagoon-style pool surrounded by lush tropical plantings, shaded terraces, and immersive rockwork. DTJ's planning unified the hotel, conference spaces, and recreation areas into a cohesive campus. Resort pathways wind through gardens and courtyards, blending storytelling with function, while pool terraces, water features, and arrival plazas create a balance between vibrant social spaces and tranquil retreats. By weaving together topography, theming, and hospitality-focused outdoor environments, the design delivers an authentic resort experience that extends the spirit of "island life" to the heart of Orlando.





Esther Williams Pool Renovation, Grand Hotel; Mackinac Island, MI

The renovation of the Grand Hotel's iconic Esther Williams Pool retained the pool's historic, hourglass form while reimagining its spatial relationship to the hotel and surrounding lawn. A key design technique introduced a series of parallel curvilinear lounge terraces that mirror the pool's concave and convex curves, eliminating an original concrete retaining wall. Terraces accommodate chaise lounges and walking paths, with low-lighting and accessible ramps on both ends, and a central grand stair. By retaining much of the existing pool shell and installing a regenerative-media filtration system, water volume was reduced by over half. This renovation earned the 2022 Michigan Concrete Association's Special Innovative Award for its creative, logistically complex concrete work. Photo Credit: Scott Baker





The Len Resort + Residences; Eatonton, GA

The Len Resort & Residences, a new luxury destination along 25 acres of Lake Oconee's shoreline, is envisioned as a retreat that blends Southern hospitality with the natural beauty of Georgia Lake Country. Arrival landscapes establish a gracious entry sequence, while pool decks, spa terraces, and villa forecourts create a variety of experiences anchored by lake views. Planting palettes draw inspiration from the region's woodlands and waterfront. Circulation networks for vehicles, carts, and pedestrians are designed to be intuitive and scenic, ensuring seamless connections to amenities. The design balances large-scale resort programming with intimate spaces for reflection, extending the spirit of lake life into every corner of the property. Photo Credit: The Len Resort + Residences

As seen in LASN magazine, October 2025.